TA 2941

"What is that?"

Ava had not moved ever since Thranduil had left Dale. She had watched the guard line up outside of The Lonely Mountain, her stare managing to stay on her husband as he led the army. Bard led the men and rode beside Thranduil proudly. Ava could not help but note how scared the men were. They had lost so much and now they were intending to go into war. Their faces had failed to hide the fear which shone on them. Their eyes shone with worry. Some embraced their loved ones whilst others had no one to hold.

It was only as the army remained stationary did Ava note something over the hill. Elrond had squinted and closed his eyes, knowing that this arrival was not one which was needed. Ava continued to watch wide eyes as she recognised that it was another army approaching. Gaping and holding her breath, Ava felt her hands fall into balls by her sides as she wondered how it was. She recognised that it was dwarves from their height.

"Ironfoot," Elrond whispered to his daughter and she looked to him. "He is Thorin's cousin."

"No," Ava shook her head. "Why is here? What shall he do?"

"No doubt he has come to help his cousin," Elrond informed his daughter. "However, we can only hope that a truce has been reached by now. Nothing may happen. We do not know."

Ava could feel her stomach churn as she moved a hand to rest on it. She felt the babe kick against her and she wondered if the little wonder knew that something was wrong too. She stroked her stomach, the material of her red gown bunching in her fingertips as she completed the motion. Elrond noticed her sudden panic and moved his own hand to her back, running his hand up and down as he did his best to soothe her.

"Why did he have to go?" Ava demanded.

"Because your husband is stubborn," Elrond spoke. "An army was not the best way to have avoided this situation which we find ourselves in. He should have tried to treat with him without bringing an army."

Ava glanced back to her father. "That would not have worked. Thorin was not reasoned with. I tried and I failed. You always told me of the greed of dwarves. You were not mistaken, Ada."

"Regardless, he should have tried," Elrond spoke. "Anything is better than war."

Ava remained mute as a loud cheer echoed through the clearing and the dwarves final rested less than fifty feet from the army of men and elves. Patience was not Ava's strong suit as she longed for the dwarves to turn around and return home. They were not needed here. When they left then Ava would feel relief. At this moment in time, she could not rest.

All she could do was keep her eyes trained on Thranduil as the army of elves parted to allow him to ride his elk through them towards the front. She had no doubt that her husband would be less than hospitable to the dwarves. His dislike for the creatures was something he showed too readily. Moving slowly down the wall to gain a better view, Ava suddenly tripped as the ground shook beneath her. Elrond caught her by the elbow before she could fall to the floor. In an ungraceful manner, he helped her to her feet, his hands on her cheeks as he checked she was well.

"What was that?"

The ground continued to shake beneath their feet as Ava asked him the question. Elrond remained stood with his legs parted and his feet planted to the ground. His hold was harsh on his daughter as the tremors only died down after a few moments. He inhaled a sharp breath and Ava looked from him as a deafening roar echoed through the clearing. The sound was booming and full of menace, the voices gruff yet exhilarated.

"Orcs," Elrond whispered at the sight of the creatures beneath them.

They had sprung from the hills. Elrond had been wrong. They would not have met the creatures should they have rushed home to Mirkwood. The Orcs had been hiding underground and they would have stayed there without knowing that anyone travelled above them. He could have taken Ava. He could have fled and avoided the vile creatures.

What had he done?

"No!"

Ava's screech was harrowing as she leaned against the wall, watching as the Orc pack ran towards the dwarves, elves and men. She could barely recognise Thranduil as tears threatened to cloud in her eyes. She could only watch on as her husband remained sat on his elk where he was. The dwarves rushed forwards first, their lances held in front of them as they moved to attack the creatures.

"My Queen!"

Ava barely heard the guard behind her as she continued to watch on, tears spilling down her cheeks as she longed for her husband to flee. She knew that he would not do such a thing. He would fight the Orcs and make his way back to Dale. He would not be so easily defeated. Ava knew that Thranduil was a skilled warrior, yet all she could think of was how she had almost lost him because of those creatures once before.

Elrond watched his daughter, holding his hand up to the guard to silence him, yet the elf did not seem to understand.

"Queen Ava, the women and children...what should we do...an Orc attack..."

Ava turned to look to him as Elrond squeezed her harm harshly. She shook her head and Elrond could see the guard look at her with worry. His daughter was young, and Elrond knew that. She wore a silver crown on top of her head, but she had never seen a situation like this. She had been sheltered in her life. But the people needed guidance. The remaining guard, women and children needed to be guided.

They would look to Ava.

Even the women and children would look to her.

"You are Queen," Elrond hissed to his daughter. "The women and children here may not be your subjects, but they look to you. You brought aid and healed their sick. You need to show them you are ruling."

"How?" Ava whispered, turning back to look over to the clearing, her eyes failing to find Thranduil. "He is out there...against an army..."

"He is doing what he is best at," Elrond promised, his face contorted with worry and longing. "Now you need to do what you are best at. You cannot stand here and watch. You cannot help him, Ava. I know that hurts, but he has a duty with his army. You have a duty here."

Elrond wiped the tears from her eyes as Ava struggled to push her worries aside. How could her father expect her to forget Thranduil like this? Yet his words rang true. She knew that she could not run down to help her husband. And she knew that the Orcs would more than likely turn their attention to Dale before the day was out. Ava thought back to everyone still in the city and she nodded. She may not feel strong, but she had to put on a pretence that she was. She was Queen, whether or not she liked it.

Turning to the guard, Ava moved her hands in front of herself, watching them as they trembled before her dark blue orbs met the guard's hesitant green ones. "Set up a guard around the city. Make sure that the walls are well protected. Demand for the women and children to go to the Main Hall. They shall stay with the sick sealed inside."

The guard bowed and ran off to complete Ava's bidding. The Queen looked to her father who tried to offer her an encouraging smile.

"Well said, my love," he told her.

"I should help," Ava said with one final look to the battlefield. "Women and children should be protected."

"As should you," Elrond said.

Ava shook her head. "I should not put myself before them."

"You speak like a true Queen," Elrond declared.

Ava scoffed and began to walk towards the main courtyard by the main hall. Women and children stood against the walls and Ava sighed at the sight of them. She looked to her father and moved to grab hold of his hand. She looked up to him and Elrond saw the vulnerability in her gaze. It was almost as though she were the young elleth who had left him all those years ago, uncertainty in her gaze as she wondered whether or not she should leave.

"Help me," she whispered.

Elrond nodded up to her and quickly kissed her forehead. "Always."

Ava nodded and turned her attention back to the women and children peering over the walls. They were gasping and sobbing as Ava cleared her throat and prepared to make demands from them.

"I need everyone to go into the Main Hall!" Ava called out and people turned to stare to her. "Please, I know that this is difficult for you, but I need you to go to safety."

"My husband is down there!" a woman yelled out and Ava quickly sought her out as she stepped forwards with her child holding her hand tightly. The boy was small and blond, his face covered in dirt and his stare on Ava as though she were some form of mythical creature. "How can I go to hide?"

Ava moved her stare from the child and back to the woman, almost as if she was daring for her to challenge her further on the matter.

"I know how you feel," Ava said. "But your husband would not want you to stand and watch. There is nothing that we can do, and those foul creatures may soon turn their attention to Dale. Think of your children if nothing else. Keeping safe and hidden is the best thing to do."

The women seemed to consider what Ava was telling them. She inhaled a sharp breath and longed for them to begin to leave. She wanted them to flock to the Hall for safety. Why could they not do as she had asked them? Why could they simply not see that she was trying to protect them?

"There is a guard protecting the walls to keep you safe," Ava spoke again as some women flocked away with their children, sobbing as they went. "I do not know what shall happen to your loves ones, but they will not want to see you stood here and placing yourselves in danger."

Ava's harsher tone seemed to do the trick as people rushed ahead and Elrond watched on, silently impressed with the strength which his daughter was showing. The pair of them continued to rush through Dale, demanding from anyone they found to make their way to the Main Hall.

"Queen Ava!"

Ava turned around to see an elder girl rushing towards her. She held her skirts in her fingertips as Ava ordered for a guard to hold the door to the Main Hall open for another moment before barring it shut and keeping it guard.

"Sigrid," Ava greeted the girl.

"It is Tilda and Bain," the girl exclaimed. "I cannot find them anywhere and I saw the Orc army. I have looked everywhere...but I do not know where they are...and da..."

Ava could see that the girl was trying to stay strong. Elrond looked to the guard who was still holding the door open. Ava nodded solemnly.

"Then we shall continue to search," she spoke with determination before looking to the guard. "Keep the doors sealed, but unlocked. At the first sign of danger I want you to barricade yourself and twenty other guards inside. Keep the Main Hall as secure as possible and kill any creature which threatens to break in."

"And you, my Queen?" the guard asked.

"She will be inside with them," Elrond answered, taking Ava by the wrist.

His daughter snatched her wrist from him and shook her head. "I have to help Sigrid. I shall not hide until everyone is found...and even then I refuse to hide..."

"Ava," Elrond hissed to his daughter. "The army is closer than you think. What if you cannot find them? What if they have hidden already?"

Ava searched her father's gaze. He was looking at her the same way he had done when he had lost his wife. His worry and fear was uncontrollable.

"Then...there is nothing more I can do," Ava whispered.

She offer Sigrid her hand and the girl took it. Ava did not allow her father to say another word before she began to drag the girl through the streets with haste. They rushed along the ruined city, checking every nook and crevice which they came across. Their shouts of pleas did nothing but echo around them as they went. Ava did not know how long they had been searching before she dared to turn her gaze back to the battlefield as they stood at the highest level of Dale in the watch tower.

It was then when she noticed two things. The first was the sight of two small children stood on top of the tower, watching with anticipation, and the second was the Orc pack which had turned its attention to Dale.

"Tilda! Bain!" Sigrid shouted and rushed to her siblings.

Elrond watched on, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword as he did so. Ava noted the reaction and she knew what was coming. The Orcs were preparing to attack the city whilst the others remained caught up in battle.

"Sigrid, take them to the Main Hall and tell the guard to seal the gate," Ava said and the girl looked hesitant. "Do it now."

It was only on Ava's second demand did Sigrid run off with Tilda and Bain in front of her. They rushed back down the stairs from the tower as Ava saw the Orcs rush towards the gate and over the bridge.

"You need to go the Main Hall," Elrond demanded from his daughter, taking her shoulder and steering her towards the staircase. "The city cannot hope to withstand an attack from these creatures. There are too many of them to fight. Hopefully others should make it to Dale when the notice the Orcs heading this way, but for now we need to get to safety."

Ava agreed with her father and noticed Sigrid slightly ahead of them. They passed by the main gate on their way to the Hall and Ava startled as she saw a guard fall from the battalions. He tumbled down; hitting the ground and Elrond quickly withdrew his sword. He pushed Ava along, urging her to keep running as the Orcs swarmed the city.

The creatures quickly caught up and Elrond swung his sword with ease, decapitating the first one which dared to rush towards him and strike. The remaining guard jumped into the courtyard and each one of them held their sword with grace and poise as they struck at the creatures.

"Run, Ava!" Elrond demanded from his daughter as he pulled his sword from an Orc's chest, the blade dripping with black blood as it left its skin.

Ava did as her father had asked, running with haste as he followed her, only turning around to engage in battle with the Orcs if they caught him up. Ava tossed her head over her shoulder then, noting her father duel. She couldn't move any further as she willed for him to defeat the creature which dared to threaten him.

"There are too many," Ava declared as her father hid with her in a crevice and in the shadows for a moment as he noted that they now surrounded the city. There had been too many to fend off and they now swarmed the street. Ava could only hope that Sigrid had reached safety with Bain and Tilda.

Elrond looked to Ava and could not help but feel that he had failed her. He had promised to keep her safe, yet he was loitering with her in a hidden hole in the hope that they would not be discovered. How was the protecting her? He should have forced her into the Main Hall. He should have made her stay there.

"Ava," Elrond brought his daughter from her thoughts and she looked to him, her mouth agape as she did so. "You need to do as I say."

"And where will you be?" Ava demanded from him. "You promised not to leave me."

"And I shall not," Elrond promised her. "But sooner or later an Orc shall spot us. I need you to run and try to find safety. Do you understand me? There are only so many Orcs I can keep from you. There are too many-"

"-Ada!" Ava screeched as she noted one of the creatures advance closer towards them.

Elrond turned with haste, leaping from the shadows and engaging in battle with the creature. Ava remained silent, her breath loud as she watched her father continue to fight with the creature which was double his size and wielded a sword vaster than his own. Ava looked around for any discarded weapon she could use, but she saw nothing. All she saw was a battlefield of Orcs against elves.

Her eyes looked back to her father, but in her panic to find a weapon she had left the shadows. Another creature saw her and noted the silver crown which sat on top of her head. He licked his lips in a hungry fashion as he decided that the elleth must be of some importance for her to wear such a jewel on top of her head. He continued to stare at her as she watched the elf duel with the Orc. She barely noticed him making his way towards her.

She only looked when she heard a loud roar from his direction which snapped her attention away. Her gaze fell on the Orcs and she watched the way he prowled towards her. With another quick glance to her father, she barely saw the Orc slip a dagger from its sheath. She stumbled backwards, the glint of the blade catching in the sun. Ava looked to the Orc as he raised the dagger in the air and she bolted.

Her feet hit the ground as she heard the Orc snarl. She ducked underneath any battle she came across, knowing that the piece of filth would not be far from her. She underestimated just how vast Dale was as she heard her breath catch in her throat. She came to a sudden halt as the wall in front of her crumbled, blocking the pathway and stopping her from going any further. A large troll collapsed backwards after smashing the stone with his head. Ava looked up the large mountain of rubble and she knew she had to climb over it somehow. There was no other way around. Pulling herself up, she gripped the stone and felt her hands grow rough with each pull on the rock she made.

"Going somewhere, Queen Elf?"

Ava yelled in fear as she felt something grip her ankle and pull her back down the rubble she had tried to climb over. She fell to the floor, landing on her side with a heady thud. She instantly clutched her stomach, a jolt of pain shooting through her as she prayed for the Valar to keep her babe safe.

She began to push herself to her feet, but the creature had another idea. He took hold of her hair, his sharp claws drawing blood from her scalp as he pulled her upwards, an arm wrapping around her waist as he pressed her back flush against his front. Ava panted, her fear taking hold of her as she recalled just how much she detested the creatures.

"You must be important to wear such a fine crown," he whispered in her ear as he moved his hand up her waist to pull her crown from her head. He examined it as he pushed Ava forward, hearing how she lost her feet and landed on the floor in a heap again, her hands in front of her to absorb the impact of the fall.

"Pretty...silver..." he whispered to her and Ava whimpered as she once again tried to call forwards, but the creature grabbed her hair again to stop her, enjoying the way she yelled out in pain. "Would you be missed if you died, she-elf?"

Ava exhaled a breath as dirt clung to her skin whilst she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the creature's words. Was this it? Ava managed to peel one eye open in time to notice that no one was coming for her. It was a dead end. She had run towards a dead end where no one was to help her.

"Thranduil," she whispered her husband's name.

"What was that, she-elf?" he demanded from her. "Speak up!"

Ava managed to bring herself to look into the creature's eyes and she shook her head slowly. "Kill me if you must, scum. I do not fear you."

He released her hair again and saw her rest on her stomach, unable to do anything as the Orc pressed a foot down to her leg to stop her from going anywhere. Ava remained silent, looking straight ahead as she did so. Her mind went back to Thranduil as she prayed for him to be kept safe.

"You do not fear me, bitch?" he demanded from her. "Perhaps I can change that."

Ava only shrieked in pain when she felt the Orc's boot press down on her leg. She knew that they were strong, but she had overestimated his strength. Ava's screams went on for a long time as the Orc moved his foot from her leg, looking down and relishing the sound her bone had made when he had broken it.

He watched her for a second as she began to sob, her hands moving in front of her as she still tried to escape. Even in pain and in the valley of death she was still trying to escape. He laughed at her attempt, his horrid distorted face scrunching up as he did so.

"Pathetic."

...

Thranduil had not stopped swinging his sword since he had made it back to Dale. He had fallen from his elk and had made it his task to find Ava as soon as he was in the city's wall. The battle had raged on for far too long to begin with. The Orcs had outnumbered the men and dwarves by far. They had fought with a lack of finesse and Thranduil had managed to fight his way through the foul creatures.

His eyes soon found Elrond who was struggling to fight two Orcs simultaneously. Thranduil moved just as quickly, his sword thrusting through one Orc's back as Elrond took the opportunity to slit the other Orc's throat.

"Where is she?!" Thranduil roared. "I demanded for you to stay by her side."

"She ran," Elrond spoke back, his chest heaving as Thranduil glowered and looked struck with horror. "There was no other way."

Thranduil would have rammed his sword through the Lord of Rivendell if he had thought that it would bring him peace. His anger knew no bounds as he walked with haste, noting the dead on his way. Elven blood had been spilled. He had promised that he would not see any blood spill, yet there it was. So many had died in such a short space of time.

Knowing that he had little time, Thranduil came to turn the corner and note a dead end due to a collapsed wall. He would have turned around and left had he not noticed the figure on the floor. Moving with haste, Thranduil could not tear his gaze from the creature which stood over her as she screamed in pain. It was then when Thranduil noticed the Orc lift its boot from Ava's leg and the cracking sound of bone entered his ear.

Rage took hold of him. It was worse than anything he had felt before. He kept his sword drawn as he rushed ahead, running with haste as the creature watched with amusement as Ava tried to crawl away.

"Get away from her, filth," Thranduil demanded from the Orc, his sword still in front of him as the creature looked up and Ava managed to peer up from the floor, the sight of her husband bringing nothing but joy to her.

The Orc had other ideas as he withdrew his sword one more time and swung at Thranduil. The Elf-king was much more graceful as he clashed swords with the Orc and managed to find his second sword he had previously sheathed. He pulled it out with haste and flung it in front of him, allowing it to grace the Orc's neck. The creature instantly dropped his sword and fell to the ground, blood slowly pooling out of his neck as he collapsed.

Thranduil sheathed one sword and dropped the other by his side as he knelt by Ava's side, his hands delicately taking hold of her as he tried to turn her onto her back. She yelled in pain as her leg moved and Thranduil stopped his movements.

"Ava," he whispered her name, "Ava, my love...look at me...please...look at me..."

Ava managed to open her eyes as Thranduil managed to lean her against him, his free hand moving to stroke her cheek in the hope that it would bring her out of the darkness she suddenly found herself in. It took her a moment to glance and focus on Thranduil's face as Elrond rounded the corner, noting the sight in front of him.

"Thranduil," Ava whispered his name.

"I am here, my love," he promised her. "We shall find you help. All shall be well."

Thranduil looked down her body, noting that there was no sign of blood on her. She was covered in dirt and her leg did not look promising. Her skirts pooled at her knees and Thranduil could see a large bruise on her pale skin from where the creature had broken the bone.

Slowly, Thranduil picked Ava up as Elrond rushed to help, making sure that he was as gentle as possible as he cradled her in his arms. Thranduil walked with haste as the remaining guard gathered in the courtyard and looked to him, waiting for orders. There was blood everywhere. The smell of it washed over Thranduil and he took a moment to inhale sharply, shaking his head back and forth as his wife mewled in pain in his hold. Enough was enough. Blood had been spilled. Lives had been lost. Thranduil would have no more.

Looking to the nearest guard, he knew what his orders were. "Recall your company."

...

A/N: I cannot believe how many people have followed this story! Thanks so much and thank you to everyone reviewing. Another update for you, but I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter we see the welcome return of Legolas and Tauriel!